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Objective: By comparing the differences in pre-competition state anxiety, inter-competition heart rate variability (HRV), and shooting performance of young athletes of different grades, and revealing the correlation between these variables, it provides a potential basis for improving athletes' shooting performance., Methods: A total of 45 adolescent shooters were selected in Chongqing, China, and completed 40 effective shots at self-pace in real shooting scenes. The pre-competition state anxiety, inter-competition HRV, and shooting performance of the athletes were monitored and evaluated respectively., Results: (1) There was a significant difference in the pre-match state anxiety of the adolescent shooters, which showed that the cognitive state anxiety and physical state anxiety of the first-level athletes were significantly lower than those of the second-level athletes, while the state confidence was significantly higher than that of the second-level athletes. (2) There were significant differences in HRV of athletes with different sports levels during the competition, showing that the root mean square differences of the standard deviation (RMSSD), total power (TP), and high-frequency of normal (HFn) of the first-level athletes were significantly higher than those of second-level athletes, while low-frequency of normal (LFn) was significantly lower than the latter. (3) The shooting performance of first-level athletes was significantly better than that of second-level athletes. (4) Among adolescent shooters of different grades, there was a significant correlation between pre-competition state anxiety, inter-competition HRV, and shooting performance. The negative dimension of state anxiety was positively correlated with sympathetic activity in HRV, negatively correlated with parasympathetic activity, and negatively correlated with shooting performance. The positive dimension of state anxiety was negatively correlated with sympathetic activity in HRV, positively correlated with parasympathetic activity, and significantly positively correlated with motor performance., Conclusion: Adolescent shooters with higher sports levels usually have better pre-competition mental state and emotional regulation ability, and could better maintain autonomic nerve dynamic balance and focus attention resources on shooting tasks during the competition, so it was easier to achieve good shooting performance. Meanwhile, pre-competition state anxiety and HRV during competition could be used as objective indicators to monitor and evaluate the competitive state of young shooters., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Physical Education of Southwest University (SWU-TY202101), and was conducted with written informed consent obtained from all participants following the Declaration of Helsinki. Meanwhile, the study involved minors (under 16 years of age), and prior to the study we also obtained statements of consent from parents and/or legal guardians for their participation in the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rationale: Coach autonomy-supportive behaviors are a crucial factor in the communication effectiveness with athletes experiencing depressive moods. Therefore, clarifying the relationship between coach autonomy-supportive behaviors and the communication effectiveness with athletes experiencing depressive moods is of significant importance for promoting effective communication between coaches and athletes. This study employs in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and stepwise regression analysis, using purposive sampling to investigate coaches and athletes experiencing depressive moods from various regions, levels, genders, and sports in China. The study examines the impact of coach autonomy-supportive behaviors on their communication effectiveness, as well as the mediating role of intrinsic motivation variables, measuring and testing these variables., Patient Concerns: The participants care about whether the coach's autonomous support behavior can promote communication between them and the coach., Diagnoses: The athletes participating in the test have a certain degree of depression., Interventions: For these athletes, coaches adopt autonomous support behavior in training practice to support their decision-making and meet their psychological needs., Outcomes: Coach autonomous support behavior has a positive supportive effect on the communication effect between athletes with depressive emotions and coaches., Lessons: (1) Coach autonomy-supportive behaviors can positively predict the communication effectiveness between coaches and athletes experiencing depressive moods; (2) Intrinsic motivation partially mediates the relationship between coach autonomy-supportive behaviors and communication effectiveness between coaches and athletes experiencing depressive moods. The study concludes that coaches can promote athletes' intrinsic motivation by supporting and encouraging them to make their own choices and affirming the outcomes of those choices. This approach can alleviate athletes' depressive moods and foster their willingness to actively communicate and share their feelings with coaches, thereby enhancing communication effectiveness., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The paper aims to investigate the interplay of sports athletic behavior between big-five personality traits and sports performance in China. The study acquired cross-sectional responses on the questionnaire from 260 Chinese sports athletes, including males and females. Fuzzy analysis techniques were applied to examine the results of the study. Fuzzy TODIM assessment, and fuzzy decision analysis technique applied to draw inferences. The results established that big-five personality traits are significant predictors of athletic behaviors; however, neuroticism is found to be insignificant. The interplay of athletic behavior of sports athletes is also significant in sports game performance. The role of athletic behavior in the nexus between personality traits and sports performance is also significant. Gender also has a significant role in behavior and sports performance. Chinese educational institutional and sports administrations should strive to encourage psychological training programs are enhance mental resilience for effective performance. Valuing sports opportunities for females to shape gender equality would promote sports performance at the school and college levels. Therefore, policy makers need to take such initiatives for a physically academic grooming of the individuals., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Recent research suggested that mental toughness might play a mediating role in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and sleep quality. This study sought to examine the associations between multidimensional perfectionism, mental toughness, and sleep quality in young Chinese athletes, with a particular focus on investigating the potential mediating role of mental toughness in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and sleep quality. A total of 208 Chinese athletes (129 females and 79 males) aged from 15 to 29 (Mage = 19.9, SD = 2.52) were included. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the potential mediating effect. The results revealed that perfectionism striving was not associated with sleep quality, whereas perfectionism concerning emerged as a negative predictor of sleep quality. Mental toughness could positively predict sleep quality. The mediation analysis demonstrated that mental toughness partially mediated the relationship between perfectionism concerning and sleep quality. This study revealed that perfectionism concerning can reduce sleep quality, and mental toughness played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perfectionism concerning and sleep quality among Chinese young athletes. These findings suggest that enhancing athletes' mental toughness and reducing perfectionism concerning may be effective strategies for improving sleep quality., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. This study used an online questionnaire to collect data, and subjects could opt to complete the questionnaire at any time. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Approval Number: H20230292I). Consent for publication: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Vigor plays an important role in mental health, and it is closely related to sporting performance. Neuroticism can affect individual vigor, but its internal mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to examine the relationship between neuroticism and vigor, and the role of anxiety and mind wandering between the two., Methods: A total of 591 athletes completed questionnaires on neuroticism, pre-competition anxiety, mind wandering and vigor. The survey data were tested for common method biases, Pearson's correlation, and structural equation model via SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 7.0., Results: Results showed that neuroticism had a predictive effect on athletes' vigor 4 ( β  = -0.511, p < 0.001). Pre-competition anxiety ( β  = -0.056, BC 95% CI = [-0.091, -0.028]) and mind wandering ( β  = -0.030, BC 95% CI = [-0.054, -0.014]) mediate neuroticism effects on vigor separately. There was a significant serial mediation effect from "neuroticism→Pre-competition anxiety→mind wandering→energy" ( β  = -0.010, BC 95% CI = [-0.023, -0.002])., Discussion: This study provides a reference for the systematic investigation of the relationship between neuroticism and vigor, and specific intervention methods for ensuring athletes' vigor and improving sports performance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Li and Tian.)

This study aims to explore the complex and multifaceted relationship between Behavioral Activation and Behavioral Maintenance in sports participation, delving into the underlying mechanisms to provide practical insights into how individuals initiate and sustain engagement in sports activities. Utilizing a combination of convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods, 378 sports participants from over ten provinces and cities in China were selected as survey subjects, and an intermediary model concerning the activation and maintenance of sports participation behavior was constructed. Discriminant validity and mediation effect analyses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS 23.0. The results indicate that Behavioral Activation indirectly influences Behavioral Maintenance through Competence (ad = 0.39), with a 95% confidence interval [0.201, 0.642], excluding 0. Behavioral Activation also indirectly influences Behavioral Maintenance through Autonomy (be = 0.23), with a 95% confidence interval [0.109, 0.421], excluding 0. However, Behavioral Activation indirectly influences Behavioral Maintenance through Relatedness (cf. = 0.09), with a 95% confidence interval [-0.068, 0.336], which includes 0. The study reveals that both Competence and Autonomy significantly mediate the activation and maintenance of sports participation behavior among athletes. However, Relatedness does not play a significant mediating role in the activation and maintenance of sports participation behavior among the participants., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Sporting success relies not only on athletes' physical qualities but also involves psychological, technical, and environmental factors. Given the lack of effective tools to comprehensively measure sporting success in the Chinese context, this study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Sport Success Scale (SSS-C)., Methods: A total of 604 adolescent basketball players, comprising 301 (49.8%) males and 303 (50.2%) females aged between 12 and 19 (M = 15.53, SD = 1.42), were recruited from secondary schools across 17 cities in Shandong Province, China, to answer the questionnaire, which measured their views on 29 items through a six-point Likert scale. The SSS was translated into Chinese language (SSS-C) using forward-backward translation techniques. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed using Mplus 8.0 software to assess the structural validity of SSS-C. The reliability and convergent validity were also evaluated., Results: CFA results demonstrated an excellent fit to the hypothesized six-factor model based on the fit indices (CFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.016 [90% CI: 0.005, 0.022], SRMR = 0.018). All items displayed significant factor loadings above 0.40, supporting the robustness of the model. The SSS-C exhibited high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α ranged from 0.95 to 0.96; Composite Reliability ranged from 0.95 to 0.96) and strong convergent validity (Average Variance Extracted values > 0.50)., Conclusion: The SSS-C with 29 items was a valid and reliable instrument for comprehensively assessing sport success among Chinese adolescent athletes. The multidimensional approach of the SSS-C provides a new perspective for understanding the psychological factors contributing to athletes' success, which can inform the development of targeted interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: This study examines the structural validity of the Chinese version of the Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) among Chinese athletes and analyzes potential profiles to provide evidence for its effective use and recommendations for its application., Methods: A total of 340 Chinese athletes completed the Chinese version of the Abbreviated POMS. Initially, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to identify and verify the extractable dimensions of the Abbreviated POMS. Subsequently, the fit of the six-factor and seven-factor models of POMS was tested directly based on their theoretical structures. Finally, latent profile analysis was used to examine profiles based on the four-factor model derived from the factor analysis, six-factor model, and seven-factor model., Results: The Abbreviated POMS was refined to a four-factor model, consisting of 27 items across four factors: positive mood, anger, fatigue, and confusion. The hypothesized six-factor and seven-factor models did not demonstrate satisfactory fit, suggesting that the seven dimensions function better as independent subscales. Iceberg and inverse iceberg profiles were observed across the four-factor model, six-factor model, and seven-factor model., Conclusion: The Abbreviated POMS does not support its initial hypothesized structure among Chinese athletes. Caution is advised when using the Abbreviated POMS with athletes; it is recommended to use the four-factor model or evaluate each emotion as an independent subscale. The iceberg and inverse iceberg profiles can be used to categorize athletes' emotional characteristics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To test the reliability and validity of the "Defeat Scale" and explore whether the scale is suitable for use in surveys of college athletes. A total of 226 athletes from five universities in China were selected for evaluation using the defeat scale. Factor analysis and correlation analysis were used to explore the reliability and validity of the defeat scale. Exploratory factor analysis showed that two factors could be extracted from this scale, namely a sense of decadence and a sense of low achievement. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit of the two factors was excellent (X 2 /DF = 2.809, RMSEA = 0.092, SRMR = 0.054, NFI = 0.891, IFI = 0.927, CFI = 0.926, GFI = 0.919, TLI = 0.910) . The convergent validity AVE values are 0.579 and 0.505 respectively, AVE > 0.5, and the combined reliability is 0.946 and 0.746 respectively. Both > 0.7 indicate good convergence effect. The arithmetic square roots of AVE, 0.760 and 0.710, are both higher than the absolute value of the correlation coefficient between the two dimensions, 0.30, indicating good discriminant validity; and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of defeat is 0.931, and the Spearman-Brown coefficient is 0.888. The defeat scale has good reliability and validity among college athletes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Sexual minority student-athletes (SMSAs) face discrimination and identity conflicts in intercollegiate sport, impacting their participation and mental health. This study explores the perceptions of Chinese SMSAs regarding their sexual minority identities, aiming to fill the current gap in research related to non-Western countries., Methods: A qualitative methodology was adopted, utilising the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach with self-categorization theory as the theoretical framework. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling, and data were collected via semi-structured interviews, documents, and field notes. Sixteen former and current Chinese SMSAs participated in this study., Results: The study reveals four themes: hidden truths, prioritisation of athlete identity, self-stereotyping, and attempt. The results revealed that while SMSAs were common in intercollegiate sport, their identities were often concealed and not openly discussed. The predominant focus on athlete identity in sport overshadowed their sexual minority identities. Additionally, SMSAs developed self-stereotypes that influenced their thoughts and behaviours. The non-heterosexual team atmosphere in women's teams led to the development of intimate relationships among teammates., Conclusions: The findings from this study could be incorporated into existing sport policies to ensure the safe participation of SMSAs in Chinese intercollegiate sports. This research offers valuable insights for the development and implementation of inclusive policies. Future research in China could investigate the attitudes of coaches and heterosexual student-athletes toward sexual minority identities to inform targeted interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Football, as a global phenomenon, intertwines team quality and fan attachment. This study, centered on Changchun Yatai Football Club (CYFC) fans, explores how emotional satisfaction acts as a mediator in this intricate relationship, providing nuanced perspectives crucial for understanding and optimizing the dynamics of fan-team connections in football culture., Objectives: The primary objective of this research is to examine the influence of team quality on emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. Additionally, it aims to investigate the mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the relationship between team quality and fans' attachment. By achieving these objectives, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the dynamics of fan-team relationships in the context of football., Methodology: The research adopts an applied approach in terms of its purpose, aiming to provide practical implications for football clubs. The data collection method is descriptive, utilizing electronic questionnaires voluntarily completed by 396 fans of CYFC. The research tool comprises three questionnaires: the team quality questionnaire adapted from Zhan et al. (1997), the emotional satisfaction questionnaire developed by Reynold and Bettie (1999), and a researcher-made attachment questionnaire. Structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the gathered data., Results: The results obtained through structural equation modeling reveal a significant impact of team quality on both emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. Furthermore, a positive and significant relationship is identified between emotional satisfaction and fans' attachment. The study also confirms the positive mediating role of emotional satisfaction in the connection between team quality and fans' attachment., Conclusions: In conclusion, the research suggests that football clubs can influence fans' attachment by strategically enhancing team quality. This improvement can be achieved through measures such as acquiring high-quality players and stars. Understanding and addressing the mediating role of emotional satisfaction can be a key strategy for clubs looking to strengthen their connection with fans. The findings provide practical insights for football clubs seeking to optimize their strategies for fan engagement and attachment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Mental energy is an important factor in many domains, including athletic performance. The athletic mental energy scale (AMES) is one of the established tools available to measure athletes' perceived mental energy state. To date, there is no validated questionnaire to assess athletic mental energy for Chinese adolescents. Therefore, purpose of this study was to validate a Chinese version of AMES (C-AMES) among the Chinese adolescents in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China. We sampled 729 adolescents aged 14 to 18 in five middle schools in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, China to complete the revised C-AMES. Data were analyzed for factor structure validity by performing CFA. The results showed that the fit index was acceptable (RMSEA = 0.050, CFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.951), and a six-factor model containing 18 C-AMES items had good measurement properties for athletic mental energy. We suggest future study may use C-AMES to examine the relationship between athletes' mental energy and athletic performance and sporting behavior., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study was to create and validate a ten-item Domain-specific Grit Scale for College Athletic Students (DGSCAS) to assess the level of grit among college athletic students. College athletic students from a single independent college located in a northern city in China (526 participants at time 1 and 589 participants at time 2) were assessed according to the scale. Various analyses were conducted in this study, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and measurement invariance analysis across different sex and birthplaces. The results of the EFA revealed two factors: consistency of interests and perseverance of effort. The CFA results demonstrated acceptable fit indices (x 2  = 160.048, df = 34, x 2 /df = 4.707, CFI = 0.983, TLI = 0.978, SRMR = 0.021, and RMSEA = 0.079). The scale exhibited satisfactory convergent validity and discriminant validity. The significant correlation of these factors with the Grit scale provided strong evidence of criterion-related validity. Measurement invariance analysis indicated that the scale performed consistently across different sex and birthplaces. Three limitations and corresponding recommendations were discussed, including sample heterogeneity, the lack of a unified test result as a criterion for predictive validity, and the cross-sectional design of the study. In conclusion, the DGSCAS is a practical and validated instrument that can be used to assess the level of grit among college athletic students in an educational context., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Elite athletes' help-seeking on mental health might be influenced by their mental health literacy (MHL) and mental health experiences. The current study aimed to explore the MHL, experiences and help-seeking behaviours among elite athletes using a qualitative approach., Methods: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted among 20 Chinese elite athletes, 12 coaches, and 5 team officials. Interview data was analyzed using content analysis., Results: Seven main themes emerged from the analysis. The current study revealed that Chinese elite athletes suffered from various mental health issues and athletes' MHL levels, help-seeking attitudes and intentions, Chinese sports environments, and Chinese cultural background could impact their help-seeking behaviours., Conclusion: Support for Chinese elite athletes' mental health and help-seeking requires improvement., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Bu, Zhang, Liu, Han, Wang and Huang.)

Introduction: In the current trend toward youthfulness and age reduction in competitive sports, the issue of obligatory exercise among young athletes is becoming more severe. This not only affects their physical and mental health but also hampers their future prospects in the sports world. While delving into the impact of mindfulness on the issue of obligatory exercise among young athletes, it reveals the mediating role of obsessive passion and cognitive state anxiety., Methods: This study is a cross-sectional research that employs convenience and snowball sampling methods. We selected 403 young athletes from several universities and high-level sports teams in the central-southern region of China as valid samples and used AMOS v.23 to construct a structural equation model to validate the hypotheses., Results: The research findings indicate a significant positive correlation between obsessive passion, cognitive state anxiety, and obligatory exercise. Furthermore, obsessive passion and cognitive state anxiety mediate the relationship between mindfulness and obligatory exercise. This implies that young athletes can better regulate their emotional state during training, manage training loads sensibly, and avoid issues with obligatory exercise through mindfulness training., Discussion: In conclusion, to enhance the cognitive levels of young athletes and reduce their obligatory exercise behaviors, national sports authorities and coaching teams should develop reasonable mindfulness training programs for athletes and encourage their participation in mindfulness training., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Li, He and Wang.)

Background: Passion is an important motivational variable that profoundly affects athletes' cognition, emotion, and behavior. This study constructed a mediating model to explore the mechanism of cohesion toward passion and mental toughness of Chinese team sports athletes and to investigate the mediating effect of harmonious passion and obsessive passion on cohesion and mental toughness., Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 326 Chinese active athletes (M = 19.63, SD = 6.51) aged 14-26 years (54% male, 46% female) from eight sports., Results: Cohesion and its dimensions can positively predict athletes' mental toughness, and ATG-T is more important in advantage analysis. The direct and indirect paths show that cohesion affects mental toughness through the mediating effect of harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Mediating effect model has a good fit and explained 22.1% of the variance in mental toughness., Conclusion: The relationship between cohesion, passion, and mental toughness reflects the psychological dynamic process from environment to motivation to sports performance. The development of team sports athletes' mental toughness can be carried out from the following points. First, the team should define a sports goal and take the needs of members into account in goal-setting. Second, the sports team should build a team culture that is enterprising, inclusive, and cooperative and emphasizes members' recognition of them. Third, the team should attach importance to the passion of the members and make good use of the team atmosphere. To protect the psychological health and long-term development of athletes, team culture should pay more attention to the cultivation of athletes' harmonious passion. Improving cohesion is beneficial to athletes' mental toughness in team sports. To protect the psychological health and long-term development of athletes, team culture should pay more attention to the cultivation of athletes' harmonious passion.

There are limited studies examining the impacts of perfectionism and achievement motivation on collegiate athletes' extra training and academic achievement in a Chinese context. This study aimed to examine the association of perfectionism (five facets) with extra training and academic performance among Chinese collegiate athletes and identify the mediating role of achievement motivation (two attributes) in the relationship between perfectionism and extra training and academic performance. With a prospective study design, 243 eligible participants completed two-wave surveys from September to December 2021. Measures included demographics, perfectionism (concern over mistake, CM; doubts about action, DA; personal standard, PS; organization; parental expectation, PE), achievement motivation (motive for success, MS; motive for avoiding failure, MF), extra-training (minutes/week), and academic performance (GPA). Results showed that CM, DA, PS, and MS were associated with extra training among Chinese collegiate athletes, while the associations of DA and PS with extra training were mediated by MS. In addition, DA, PS, organization, and MS were associated with participants' GPA, while MS was a salient mediator for the contributions of DA and PS on participants GPA. Research findings give new insights to the psychological mechanisms of perfectionism and achievement motivation on collegiate athletes' extra training and academic performance, contributing to future studies in relevant domains.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the World Anti-Doping Agency's e-learning programme for anti-doping education on knowledge of, explicit and implicit attitudes towards, and likelihood of doping among Chinese college athletes and non-athletes., Method: Thirty-two young adults (including 16 college athletes) were recruited to receive the Athlete Learning Program about Health and Anti-Doping (ALPHA) intervention (Zh-hans version). Another 32 young adults were recruited for no-treatment control purposes. Before and immediately after the intervention, the ALPHA test, performance enhancement attitude scale, doping likelihood scale, and brief implicit association test (BIAT) were performed. Cortical activity during the BIAT test was monitored using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy instrument., Results: Significant intervention effects were observed for knowledge (p < 0.01, η 2  = 0.21) and explicit attitude (p < 0.05, η 2  = 0.12) but not for doping likelihood (p > 0.05; benefit situation: η 2  = 0.04; cost situation: η 2  = 0.02). Compared with the non-athletes, the college athletes reported lower doping likelihood scores in benefit situations (e.g., financial gain, p < 0.05, η 2  = 0.10). Regarding the BIAT task, the experimental effect was successfully induced by different semantic associations between the concepts and the attitude (doping + like vs. doping + dislike). The mean reaction times (p < 0.01, η 2  = 0.36) and error rate (p < 0.01, η 2  = 0.34) in the doping-like block were higher than those in the doping-dislike block. Moreover, oxygenated haemoglobin (oxy-Hb) in response to BIAT interference in the temporoparietal junction-related channels was increased during the post-intervention test (p < 0.05, η 2 varied from 0.09 to 0.16)., Conclusions: The findings suggest that the online anti-doping education programme is partially effective among Chinese college athletes and non-athletes. Furthermore, our findings reflect enhanced cognitive control after the education intervention to suppress a prepotent implicit attitude towards doping., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Cohesion is an important factor affecting sports performance. This study constructed a mediating model to explore the mechanism of cohesion toward psychological collectivism, mental toughness, and athlete engagement of Chinese team sports athletes, and to investigate the mediating effect of psychological collectivism and mental toughness on cohesion and athlete engagement., Methods: A total of 326 active Chinese athletes (54% males, 46% females) aged 14 to 26 years (M = 19.63, SD = 6.51) from eight sports were investigated by questionnaire., Results: The athlete engagement can be predicted significantly and positively by cohesion and its dimensions, and ATG-T is more important in advantage analysis. Direct and indirect paths indicate that cohesion affects athlete engagement, through the mediating effects of psychological collectivism, the mediating effects of mental toughness, the serial multiple mediating of psychological collectivism and mental toughness. The mediating effect model had a satisfactory goodness of fit and explained 50.5% of the variance in athlete engagement, and the SEM revealed the mechanism of cohesion in Chinese athlete engagement to a certain extent., Conclusion: Psychological collectivism is the embodiment of high-quality cohesion in Chinese team sports. The increase in cohesion and psychological collectivism can improve Chinese athletes' ability to cope with stressful situations in sports, which may allow them to achieve a better performance through athlete engagement.

Abstract: In south China, traditional herbal medicines have been widely used as functional foods or dietary supplements for daily health care. Many plant-derived chemical substances with biological activity are inadvertently ingested by collegiate athletes daily through canton-style herbal tea or herbal slow-cooked soup. In the view of the complexity of herbal ingredients, it is still no full survey reported for the sports risk of plant-derived sports doping. This research is firstly a descriptive statistical analysis. Collegiate athletes with different socio-economic characteristics from medical colleges in 3 different regions in China participated in the questionnaire survey. Three survey forms, including the oral interview, email inquiry, handing out and recovering the questionnaires in live, were developed and performed by researchers. It was first found that collegiate athletes resorted to some traditional herbal materials to protect their health care that there were regional differences (P < .01). Collegiate athletes with Health Fitness and Traditional Wushu as their sports expertise showed a higher frequency of recognition or ingestion in the use of traditional herbal materials (P < .01), while their different living types and cuisine preferences did not seem to be associated with the ingestion frequency of traditional herbal materials. In addition, in the view of the significant differences in the use of herbal preparations to relieve sports stress among young athletes in different regions (P < .01), the findings strongly suggested that athletes should strictly control their use of various herbal preparations during sports training and competition, including herbal wines, herbal oils, topical plasters, analgesic tablets., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

This study examines the reliability and validity of the Characteristics of Resilience in Sports Teams Inventory (CREST) in Chinese team athletes. A sample of 659 athletes (male = 355, female = 304) aged from 16-34 (M = 20.08, SD = 2.98) participated in this study. The scale was translated into Chinese using forward and back translation procedures by two independent translators. Questionnaires were administered online. Data was analysed using SPSS 19.0 and Mplus 6.0. Results showed that the items were understood by Chinese team sport athletes. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the Chinese version of CREST had two sub-dimensions as it was in the original scale. Confirmatory factor analysis further demonstrated that the two-structure model was confirmed in the Chinese team sports context. The Cronbach's alpha values of the scale was 0.842, and the test-retest reliability coefficient of one-month interval was 0.836. It is concluded that the Chinese version of CREST can be used as a valid and reliable tool to assess team resilience in China and can be helpful and applicable in helping sports psychologists understand team resilience. Future studies should further examine the psychometric properties of the scale among world-class athletes and develop a team resilience measurement tool based on Chinese traditional culture., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Recent studies suggest that autonomous and controlled motivation may mediate the relationship between perfectionism and attitudes toward doping. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association among perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and attitudes toward doping in young athletes. The potential mediating role of autonomous and controlled motivation was examined., Methods: Two hundred and forty-three Chinese athletes were surveyed using questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to evaluate the potential mediating role of autonomous and controlled motivation between perfectionism and attitudes toward doping., Results: The results showed that perfectionistic strivings was negatively associated with attitudes toward doping, whereas perfectionistic concerns positively predicted attitudes toward doping. Autonomous motivation was negatively associated with attitudes toward doping, whereas controlled motivation positively predicted attitudes toward doping. The mediation analyses showed that the relationship between perfectionistic strivings and attitudes toward doping was partially mediated by autonomous motivation. The relationship between perfectionistic concerns and attitudes toward doping was partially mediated by controlled motivation., Conclusions: The findings suggested that fostering perfectionistic strivings and autonomous motivation and reducing perfectionistic concerns and controlled motivation may be considered for inclusion in athletes' anti-doping education.

Organizational stressors are a universal phenomenon which can be particularly prevalent and problematic for sport performers. In view of their global existence, it is surprising that no studies have examined cross-cultural differences in organizational stressors. One explanation for this is that the Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP; Arnold, Fletcher, & Daniels, 2013), which can comprehensively measure the organizational pressures that sport performers have encountered, has not yet been translated from English into any other languages nor scrutinized cross-culturally. The first purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the cross-cultural validity of the OSI-SP. In addition, the study aimed to test the equivalence of the OSI-SP's factor structure across cultures. British (n = 379), Chinese (n = 335), and Malaysian (n = 444) sport performers completed the OSI-SP. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the cross-cultural validity of the factorial model for the British and Malaysian samples; however, the overall model fit for the Chinese data did not meet all guideline values. Support was provided for the equality of factor loadings, variances, and covariances on the OSI-SP across the British and Malaysian cultures. These findings advance knowledge and understanding on the cross-cultural existence, conceptualization, and operationalization of organizational stressors., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This commentary on Hardy and colleagues' discussion of psychosocial biographies of British super-elite athletes discusses cultural differences from a Chinese perspective. While British super-elite athletes might cope with high pressure by a counter-phobic attitude or total preparation, Chinese super-elite athletes achieve that by "Pingchangxin," a concept originated from Hongzhou Buddhism. This concept is difficult to translate but includes having no evaluation of good and evil, maintaining a peaceful mind in adversity and frustration, letting nature take its course, so as to reach the realm of freedom. While it is necessary to have a fighting spirit to achieve our sporting goals during tough training and competitions, on the other hand, we also need Pingchangxin to deal with high pressure in critical moments, and ups and downs in competitions. This chapter outlines how Chinese athletes and coaches think of ways leading to Pingchangxin and methods used by Chinese sport psychologists to cultivate this mentality; such as psychological education, group discussion, and calligraphy workshops. Finally, this chapter proposes a three-level psychological construction system for Chinese super-elite athletes., (© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Precompetition nervous syndrome comprises an excessive nervous and anxiety response to the high-pressure environment preceding a sporting competition. The use of acupuncture as a treatment option for anxiety, and wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) specifically in this instance, has been identified as a growing trend within the Western world. In our previous study, we have confirmed the efficacy of WAA for pre-examination anxiety. In this paper, we present a randomized controlled single-blind trial evaluating the use of WAA for precompetition nervous syndrome, comparing it with the intervention of sham acupuncture., Methods/design: The study was designed as a randomized controlled single-blind trial to evaluate the effects of WAA for precompetition anxiety. The trial will be conducted in annual track and field events of Shanghai University of Sport. A total of 100 participants who meet inclusion criteria are randomly assigned by computerized randomization to receive WAA therapy or sham acupuncture. The group allocations and interventions are concealed to participants and statisticians. The Competition State Anxiety Scale (CSAI-2) is used as the primary outcome measure, while heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory frequency, tension syndrome curative effect evaluation and participants' feeling of acupuncture questionnaire are applied as secondary outcome measures., Discussion: The results of this trial will confirm whether WAA is effective to treat precompetition anxiety in annual track and field events., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (identifier: ChiCTR-TRC-13003931; registration date: 22 October 2013).

The present study examined the influence of personality traits on the quality of the Chinese coach-athlete relationship and satisfaction through a dyadic research design. A total of 350 coach-athlete dyads completed a self-report instrument that assessed personality traits, as well as perceptions of relationship quality and satisfaction with training. Results revealed that: (a) actor effects (i.e., actor's personality will predict his or her own perceptions of relationship quality) of personality traits, namely, conscientiousness, extroversion, and neuroticism, on both coaches' and athletes' perceptions of relationship quality and (b) partner effects (an actor's own personality will predict his or her partner's perceptions of relationship quality) of only athletes' personality, namely, conscientiousness, extroversion, and neuroticism, on their coaches' perceptions of relationship quality. The findings suggested that each relationship member's personality trait contributed independently to relationship quality, and both actor and partner effects of the relationship quality on satisfaction with training were found to be significant. In Chinese sports culture, there presents a unique dynamics of personality and relationship quality among coach-athlete dyad., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Csikszentmihalyi (1990) suggested that certain types of people might be better psychologically equipped to experience flow. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exist in one's ability to experience flow based upon factors such as cultural background, gender, years of specialized training, skill level, and sport event type. The English and Chinese versions of the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 were used to assess trait flow in American (N = 160) and Chinese collegiate athletes (N = 341). Using a one-way ANOVA analysis, the flow scores of American participants were found to be higher than those of Chinese participants, η2 = 0.175, 95% CI: 3.536-3.622, p < .005. The flow scores of male athletes were higher than those of female athletes within the Chinese sample, η2 = 0.032, 95% CI: 3.390-3.486, p < .005. The flow scores of university athletes were higher than those of national team level athletes within the Chinese sample, η2 = 0.044, 95% CI: 3.279-3.501, p < .005. Flow scores for athletes in skill-showing events were higher than those of athletes participating in physical ability-showing events for the American participants, η2 = 0.074, 95% CI: 3.812-3.948, p < .005. This study suggests that individual differences exist in the psychological characteristics of athletes' trait flow.

Building on the work of Terry and colleagues (Terry, P. C., Lane, A. M., Lane, H. J., & Keohane, L. (1999). Development and validation of a mood measure for adolescents. Journal of Sports Sciences, 17, 861-872; Terry, P. C., Lane, A. M., & Fogarty, G. J. (2003). Construct validity of the Profile of Mood States-Adolescents for use with adults. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 4, 125-139.), the present study examined the validity and internal consistency reliability of the Chinese version of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS-C) among 2,548 participants, comprising adolescent athletes (n = 520), adult athletes (n = 434), adolescent students (n = 673), and adult students (n = 921). Both adolescent and adult athletes completed the BRUMS-C before, during, or after regular training and both adolescent and adult students completed the BRUMS-C in a classroom setting. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) provided support for the factorial validity of a 23-item six-factor model, with one item removed from the hypothesised measurement model. Internal consistency reliabilities were satisfactory for all subscales across each of the four samples. Criterion validity was supported with strong relationships between the BRUMS-C, abbreviated POMS, and Chinese Affect Scale consistent with theoretical predictions. Multi-sample CFAs showed the BRUMS-C to be invariant at the configural, metric, strong, and structural levels for all samples. Furthermore, latent mean difference analyses showed that athletes reported significantly higher levels of fatigue than students while maintaining almost the same levels of vigour, and adolescent students reported significantly higher levels of depressed mood than the other three samples.

The present study investigated the transcontextual process of motivation in sport injury prevention. We examined whether general causality orientation, perceived autonomy support from coaches (PAS), self-determined motivation (SD-Mtv), and basic need satisfaction in a sport context predicted SD-Mtv, beliefs, and adherence with respect to sport injury prevention. Elite athletes (N = 533) completed self-report measures of the predictors (Week 1) and the dependent variables (Week 2). Variance-based structural equation modeling supported hypotheses: SD-Mtv in a sport context was significantly predicted by PAS and basic need satisfaction and was positively associated with SD-Mtv for sport injury prevention when controlling for general causality orientation. SD-Mtv for sport injury prevention was a significant predictor of adherence to injury-preventive behaviors and beliefs regarding safety in sport. In conclusion, the transcontextual mechanism of motivation may explain the process by which distal motivational factors in sport direct the formation of proximal motivation, beliefs, and behaviors of sport injury prevention.